Advocating fire safety

Admitting he's a frustrated teacher at heart, George T Parry wants to teach the world how to prevent fires.

George T. Parry, vice preseident of the Parry Corporation, a distributor of welding and speciality gases, welding and safety supplies, fire protection and suppression systems, and other industrial supplies, speaks and laughs with an easygoing, caring manner. But his avuncular demeanor belies the take-charge, go-to-it guy he really is. After much prodding, the NFPA Executive Committee member, who says that he's probably a frustrated teacher at heart, humbly admits that he's acted smartly to save lives from potentially explosive fires when others did nothing. No doubt such experiences have helped fuel Parry's passion to educate people worldwide about fire prevention and safety. Have you had a key area of interest during your fourdecade association with NFPA?

From the beginning, I felt that NFPA's research and especially its educational side were most important. Teaching people to "learn not to burn" and educating the general public in preventing fires became somewhat of a mandate for me. I've always encouraged and gotten involved in the NFPA's educational efforts. A thrilling highlight for me was bringing the Akron Board of Education together with the city's fire department. As partners, we successfully launched the NFPA's Learn Not to Burns program for preschool and elementary school children in a large metropolitan area. And most important, the program saved lives-we know because there have been a number of testimonials.

What are you most concerned about today? Here at home, the NFPA's codes and standards have created fire-safe buildings and other structures. But things aren't the same around the world. So, I'd like to see our codes and standards adopted on an international basis, because I'd like to see other people living in as safe an environment as we do. I'd also hope that we can teach young people throughout the world how to protect themselves from fire at a much earlier age. Further, I really believe that NFPA is in a premier position worldwide to promote and teach fire safety. What have you done to address your concerns?

I'd like to think that, in my travels abroad-I've been to Russia, India, and China-I've been a goodwill ambassador for NFPA whenever the opportunity presented itself. As part of my Board responsibility, I try to represent NFPA when I travel and invite people throughout the world to join. And, of course, I just accepted my second three-year Executive Committee appointment.

Copyright National Fire Protection Association Mar/Apr 1997
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